I did a quick search on eBay for "Brooks Brothers Necktie" and well over half of what came up would be very appropriate. That said, you may not be comfortable buying a necktie online, and you'd definitely want to make sure it was unsoiled -- so buy a
tie new. (
Suits, you can get amazing deals for very lightly used very high quality suits on eBay, so my personal advice is if you've got under $200 to spend, look there first. Seriously.)
OK - For ties, go to Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Marshall's or Steinmart. (I'm sure many other 'designer discount' stores -- NOT discount discount like Walmart or even JC Penney -- will also have nice ties.
What to look for in a tie: (
Written at the "I don't know what I'm doing" crowd level. These 'rules' can absolutely be bent if you do know what you're doing.)
- A color that is conservative but not deadly boring -- wine red, yellow, medium blue, medium green. There should be some appreciable contrast between your tie and your suit -- so a dark blue tie is OK with a grey suit, but probably not with a navy suit. Purple, orange and brown should probably not be your colors of choice, though they can sometimes work. Black and dark grey are generally too somber; silver can be very sharp.
- A fabric that is rich-looking. Rich-looking means relatively thick/heavy with some texture to the weave. NOT satin, NOT shiny. It should be genuine silk, not polyester or any other fabric blend. I would avoid most solid color with no texture ties.
- A pattern that is conservative and not distracting to the eye. Your interviewer should be looking at your face, not your tie. And the 'pattern' can absolutely be in the weave -- herringbone, stripe, etc. Plaids and paisleys can certainly work, but it's far easier to choose a bad plaid or paisley than a bad stripe.
I'm so sorry.
